by Greg Mayer
A while back, I posted on the shocking use of high priced, English-made dowsing rods by Iraqi security services to detect explosives, dowsing rods being a notorious and well-debunked form of pseudoscience. Use of these devices not only wastes tens of millions of dollars, but costs lives (see the original NY Times article). Well, I’m happy to report that the BBC has reported that the UK government is banning the export of these devices.
Sidney Alford, a leading explosives expert who advises all branches of the military, told Newsnight the sale of the ADE-651 [what the company calls the dowsing rod] was “absolutely immoral”.
“It could result in people being killed in the dozens, if not hundreds,” he said. [Sadly, it already has.]
The BBC went on to report not only the the government action (spurred in part by recent successful bombings in Iraq), but also some analyses of the devices.
Claims of such almost magical technical abilities would almost be comic, if the potential consequences were not so serious.
Newsnight obtained a set of cards [the part alleged by the manufacturer to be sensitive to various substances] for the ADE-651 and took them to Cambridge University’s Computer Laboratory where Dr Markus Kuhn dissected a card supposed to detect TNT.
It contained nothing but the type of anti-theft tag used to prevent stealing in high street stores.
Dr Kuhn said it was “impossible” that it could detect anything at all and that the card had “absolutely nothing to do with the detection of TNT”.
Do go to the BBC site to see the video of Dr. Kuhn analyzing the card.
James Randi should receive a Nobel prize.
Is it the design detector that the IDiots use?
Because I’ve noticed that whatever they’re using doesn’t work either.
Glen Davidson
http://tinyurl.com/mxaa3p
But what about the TAPIRS?????
Good job, Britain!
Update: the director of the company has been arrested on charges of fraud.
Actually, it’s not quite a slam dunk. The UK govt. only has the power to ban exports of the useless electronic dowser to conflict countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan, but not to the 18 other countries that have so far bought them.
Sales have amounted to approx £50m so the slap on the wrist (at most) the company owner will receive from the UK legal system will quickly fade as he recovers in his resplendent Somerset mansion, Porsche SUV in driveway (not my imagination, that’s what the BBC showed last night).
The question that should be asked is, ‘Why have our Govt, in the UK, only taken powers, in relation to military products, that are being exported to conflict zones?’
Whilst I have no love of ‘big Govt’ they have a responsibility, if only to the reputation of the country, to ensure that any such product works and is not a figment of some wingnuts fantasies.
I’d like to second Kieth Gerson’s (#1) suggestion. The peace prize would seem appropriate for pointing out this fraud, saving who knows how many lives and maybe shedding a little light onto the murky world of defence procurement.
This was an obvious scam and he’s been getting away with it for years. If something so transparently bogus can be sold one wonders how many other useless devices are sold to the military. In short is this the just the tip of the iceberg?
Check out also the Times article –
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6997859.ece
Money quote at the end.
Quote of the century, if you ask me! “We are working on a new model that has flashing lights.” Yes, aren’t we always!
The other countries who lost money on these things should sue in the UK. Despite the huge numbers of types of explosives, techniques have been developed to detect traces of many of these; the instruments are far too large (and power hungry) to be carried though. A lot of work is still being done on the detection of well-concealed explosives (such as land mines). Thanks to counter-measures over the decades, these devices remain extremely difficult to detect. You don’t see the explosives experts and mine sweeping units in the UK buying these dowsing rods – they know they won’t work and don’t even need to test them. But I would like to see a test conducted in a minefield – just the owners and operators of that sham company, each of them equipped with their dowsing rod.
These dowsers are still in use in 20 other countries. I hope that the Iraqi General who boasted on the efficacy of the ADE651 will be promptly investigated along with any bank accounts he has bulging with the millions of dollars he received as a kick-back. Oh and then prosecute for the hundreds of deaths caused by these crappy dowsers.